A PROFESSIONAL athlete left his girlfriend covered in blood after throwing a plate of food at her during a heated row in his kitchen.

Sprinter Joshua Brown, 27, from Newport, lashed out at her and caused a “nasty” cut to her head which has left her with a permanent scar.

The victim, from Cardiff, needed 12 stitches and the defendant was arrested at The Grange University Hospital, Cwmbran, after he had taken her there for treatment.

The pair, who had been in a relationship since November 2019, are no longer together after the shocking assault last summer.

Brown, of Mariners, Court, East Dock Road, pleaded guilty to wounding.

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He admitted the offence on the basis he had thrown the plate at the ceiling and it was a shard of from it which had caused the injury.

South Wales Argus:

Joshua Brown. Picture: Twitter 

The couple had argued on June 27, 2021 and were both cooking when he reacted violently.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how just earlier the victim saw text messages on the defendant’s phone which “suggested” he was speaking to other women.

William Bebb, prosecuting, said: “The defendant picked up a plate and threw it in the direction of the complainant.

“What she says is this, the plate hit her on the head and she had blood pouring from her head.

“The plate had essentially shattered on to the floor and she could see the defendant walking towards her with a towel to stop the blood from rushing out.

“She said she believed the plate smashed into pieces as it hit her and she was in total shock as to what had happened and that she couldn’t believe he had done it.

“The defendant began to panic and he himself rang for an ambulance.”

The compliant feels “self-conscious” about her injury and lost out on a holiday with friends which was due to take place a week after she was attacked.

Brown has previous convictions for violence, including an assault on a woman in 2014 which saw her punched to the ground and wounding a man in 2015 who was kicked and punched.

The judge, Recorder Mark Powell QC, told Joshua Scouller, representing Brown, that: “This was an angry man who lashed out with a plate.”

The defendant’s barrister told him that his client had gone to help the victim with a towel.

He added how Brown had also driven her to hospital when they had called in vain for an ambulance.

The court was told the defendant earned £26,000 a year as a professional athlete.

Recorder Powell told Brown: “You and your former partner had an argument and you picked up a plate of food and you threw it at her.

“It was in a moment of anger I accept that you lashed out rather than deliberately intended to hit her with a plate but she was hit with the plate and she received an extremely nasty wound to her forehead.

He told him he was suspending his prison sentence so that he could pay compensation to his ex-girlfriend.

The defendant was ordered to pay her £3,000.

Brown was jailed for 12 months, suspended for two years.

He must attend 29 sessions of a building better relationships programme, complete a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement and pay a £156 surcharge.

Brown was also made the subject of a three-year restraining order not to contact his victim.